Andy Murray Tearfully Announces That He Must Retire From Tennis

Tennis star Andy Murray held back tears on Friday when he announced that he is retiring from the sport due to unresolved hip pain. Murray, who is in Melbourne for the 2019 Australian Open, had to leave the press conference he was holding for a moment to compose himself before returning to the microphone. “The pain is too much, really,” Murray said of playing after his January 2018 hip surgery.

Murray has two Olympic gold medals and has won three Grand Slam titles: Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, and the U.S. Open in 2012. As a Brit (Murray is Scottish), the 31-year-old said that he would like to retire after this year’s Wimbledon competition but isn’t sure he can make it. “I spoke to my team and I told them I can’t keep doing this and that I need to have an end point, because I was just playing with no idea when the pain was going to stop,” Murray said. “I said, look, I think I can kind of get through this until Wimbledon. That is where I would like to stop. But I’m also not certain I’m able to do that.” He said that he “can still play to a level, not a level that I’m happy playing at. But it’s not just that. The pain is too much, really. It’s not something I want. I don’t want to continue playing that way. I’ve tried pretty much everything that I could to get it right, and that hasn’t worked.”

The Australian Open, then, could very well be Murray’s last tournament, a fact that the athlete has come to terms with. “There’s a chance for sure,” he said, “because I’m not sure I’m able to play through the pain for another four or five months.” He also addressed the possibility of another surgery, but ruled out continuing to play afterward. He said that he has “an option to have another operation, which is a little more severe than I had before, having my hip resurfaced, which will allow me to have a better quality of life and be out of pain. That’s something I’m seriously considering. Some athletes have had that and gone back to competing, but there’s obviously no guarantee and it is certainly not something . . . the reason for having an operation like that is not to return to competitive sport, it’s for a better quality of life.”

Other tennis luminaries voiced their support for Murray in the wake of his announcement, including Billie Jean King, who cited Murray’s championing of women in the sport. Murray appointed Amélie Mauresmo as his coach in 2014.

After the press conference concluded, Murray posted a photo with his mother, Judy, with a very cute message: “Best way to feel better after a tough day is a big cuddle from your mum,” he wrote. “Genuinely been very touched by all of the messages and support from everybody today . . . . It means a lot and has made me feel much more positive than when I woke this morning. Thank you so much.”

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